Ahmed al Darbi - al Qaeda’s mechanic

I met Ahmed al Darbi when I was in Yemen in 1997, that is why I have his photo. In May 2018 Darbi was released from Guantanamo Bay Military Prison and returned to his home nation of Saudi Arabia. He is expected to serve a four-year sentence in a rehabilitation centre before his final release and reintergration in to society.

Darbi was convicted of masterminding al Qaeda's 2002 bombing of the French registered Limburg oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden. An explosive ladened dingy struck the ship, killing one crew member and spilling 90,000 barrels of oil.

Despite very compelling circumstancial evidence Darbi appears not to have been connected to the bombing of the USS Cole in Aden harbour 2-years earlier. 17-US sailors were killed when an explosives ladened boat struck the ship whilst it was at anchor in Aden harbour.

I can show beyond all reasonable doubt that when I met him in 1997 Darbi was already engaged with al Qaeda as a senior mechanic and technician.

I can show he was developing al Qaeda's bomb making capabilities with the Engineer (Khalid Sheikh Mohammed) inside the YemPak factory at PO Box 5302 Taiz.